Friends
by rwbyfics
Summary: "I love you, Ruby Rose. I love you, I love you." She chanted between the kisses, drinking in the sight of her first friend with fear in her eyes.


"I would like to have friends, Papa." The little girl spoke to her father as he balanced her on his hip. The man was stirring a pot of broth as she spoke, but turned suddenly to face her.

"Where did you learn that word?" He asked slowly, gray eyes squinting in scrutiny.

"I have heard the village children speak it many a time when they pass the window. It appears to be a term of endearment, or perhaps close companionship. I would like one, or maybe two, Papa." The girl replied, bright green eyes twinkling as she stared at her father.

The man's face softened immediately, eyes gentle once more.

"My dear girl, I would give you the sun and stars if it pleased you. But your time will come, I swear to it. And when it does, you shall befriend the world and its inhabitants." He spoke gravely, but when his little daughter nodded with her plump little cheeks squishing upwards, he hugged her.

"Now," he turned back to the soup. "Taste this and tell me what you think, Penny."

Penny grew.

It was odd for an Automaton such as her to do so, but her father was an extremely intelligent man who had built her that way. Now, she stood at his shoulder and had grown into a set of different clothes, light green skirts and white ruffled tops with high socks and frilly headbands. She was prettily crafted, with wide emerald irises and creamy pale skin with a few bumps here and there that jointed her skull together.

Her father had taught her how to arrange her hair in a curled bob so that it sat tucked against her jaw. She liked the bright ginger of her hair; it reminded her of the spices that her father had sprinkled onto his food as she sat adjacent to him and asked him about food and how it tasted.

They had lived on the outskirts of a tiny village for exactly thirteen years and twenty-five days before her father had packed their things and flown them to a place called Vale.

The Air Ship had been empty, just Penny and her Papa, alone in the steel balloon. Penny had pointed out flaws in the construction of the contraption while her Papa mildly chastised her for belittling someone else's magnum opus.

"And what is your magnum opus, Papa?" Penny had asked.

"You, of course, my dear girl." Her father tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

Penny had grinned ear-to-ear, sitting up a little straighter for the rest of the flight to Vale.

Penny and her father had reached Vale and taken a cab ride to their new residence. From what she had seen so far, Vale seemed large and crowded, many people of all ages and ethnicities talking and laughing together.

_Friend._ That word had haunted her to this day; the mere possibility that one-day someone would call her that and truly mean it. She began to dwell on that thought before shaking herself away from it. Papa had promised her she would have friends one day, and Papa never broke his promises.

The father and daughter reached their new home. It was much larger than their cottage; it could probably fit twenty of those little straw-roofed huts in its laboratory alone.

Penny unpacked her things, hanging her clothing into her new closet and picking stray lint off of her skirts. Her father was settling in downstairs, arranging his study and displaying his collection of books.

She wandered over to her window, gazing out at the street below. Two young boys scrambled after each other, knees scabbed and dirty but smiles wide on their faces. They were shouting to each other loudly, hollering and grinning, and they disappeared around a corner just as quickly as they had appeared.

Penny smiled at that and turned back to her luggage. She would experience that one-day as well – with her friends.

_Birthday. _

The day you emerged into the world crying and squalling, the day you were born.

For Penny, it was rather the day that Papa had finally flipped her switch on, introduced himself, and pulled her into a big hug.

It was today. She would be turning seventeen. Papa had called her downstairs and she had dressed quickly, batting at an irksome cowlick that stood tall at the crown of her head.

When she saw her Papa in the kitchen, she hugged him tightly and he smooched her cheek. She laughed and wiped at it before seating herself next to him at their table.

There was a small bag in front of her, and she looked in surprise to her father.

"For me?" She asked incredulously. Papa had given her presents before, just never given them to her in this manner. He grinned and nodded, taking his seat next to her. He groaned a little when he sat, his face twisted in discomfort.

"Papa?"

"It's fine, dear. Go on, open your present. I want to see what you think of it." He answered, smiling warmly at his daughter. He had aged – crow's feet appearing around his eyes and aching joints beginning to plague him. A few silver hairs began sprouting in his full moustache, and their twins had already taken over the hair on his head.

Penny reached for the bag and plucked the tissue paper out of the top, examining the flimsy decoration before digging her hand into the bag. She pulled out a fluffy pink bow that had a clasp in the back.

"It's to put in your hair. Do you like it?" Her father asked, eyes hopeful.

Penny squealed in glee, flinging her arms around Papa.

"I love it, Papa! Thank you very, very much!" She cried, tearing towards the bathroom to put it in her hair. When she emerged, the accessory was clipped in the back of her hair. The girl was smiling widely.

She had aged as well, now taller than her father and grown into another set of clothing; overalls, blouses, and pants. Her eyes were as bright as ever, constantly curious and searching. She danced around the kitchen, clapping her hands happily at her new bow.

Penny suddenly stopped celebrating and sat down once more.

"What is it?" Papa asked, frowning in concern.

"Papa… is it time for me to have _friends_ yet?" She whispered sadly, looking up at her father. The old man smiled weakly and answered her tentatively.

"Not yet, dear."

Penny's face crumpled and her head hung low.

"But since it is your birthday and there is nothing to do, how about you go explore Vale? I hear that there will be a tournament soon. You should go see if you'd like to enroll." It was a last-ditch attempt to cheer Penny up. The old man hated to disappoint his daughter; hated to see how the excitement that glowed from her eyes was stamped down in a few words.

Penny brightened immediately. He sighed in relief.

"Really, Papa?"

He nodded.

"You'll know how to come home. Don't be too late, and just in case, you should bring Puppeteer." He answered, gesturing to the thin backpack that hung on a hook. Penny beamed. "You know the rules about your weapons."

His daughter nodded furiously.

"Of course! Oh, thank you, thank you, _thank you_, Papa!" Penny cried. She pressed a quick kiss to his forehead and grabbed her backpack before rushing out the door.

_Papa said it is not time for me to have friends, but perhaps I can find one today!_

And she did.

She found one in a girl named Ruby who had called her _friend_ after meeting her for the first time. Penny had practically combusted, burst to flames from the sheer excitement. Ruby was kind and sweet, but seemed to run into numerous problems, such as the disappearance of her Faunus friend or the man with the odd hat who was definitely _not _her friend.

Penny had used Puppeteer, protected Ruby and the Faunus from the mean man. But Papa had found her after she had helped her friends, had taken her away.

"Your time will come, Penny." Papa had spoken quietly after Penny had told of her new friends.

"Yes, Papa." She murmured quietly, folding her hands in her lap.

Penny continued to meet with her friend, Ruby, and they'd talk about many things. Penny found out that Ruby liked to eat cookies and that she loved her team very much. She was very strong but used her strength wisely, unlike Weird Hat Man who had tried to hurt Ruby.

Penny became close with the rest of team RWBY as well. Yang was loud and affectionate and was very happy all the time. Penny liked her because she smiled a lot. Blake was quiet and studious but very gentle. Penny liked her because she didn't smile often, but when she did, it was very beautiful. Weiss was grumpy and talked a lot but she wasn't mean. Penny liked her because she was very funny when she got angry.

But Penny liked Ruby best because they were friends.

Ruby had kissed Penny first.

Penny had squealed in surprise and nearly bit on Ruby's bottom lip, but giggled nervously when they pulled away. Ruby's cheeks were very red, but Penny ignored that to ask a question.

"What is that called?"

"What's what called?" Ruby cocked her head to the side.

"The thing you just did to my mouth." Penny clarified.

Ruby got redder.

"That was a kiss." Ruby replied, clearly very embarrassed and nervous.

Penny tilted her head and hummed.

"I liked that."

Ruby perked up.

"Can you do it again?" Penny asked.

Ruby nodded and she leaned in.

And they kissed again, and again, and again, and again.

When Penny told Ruby about her life and how Papa had made her from scratch, the Automaton had expected the Huntress to run away in fear and never kiss her again.

But Ruby had kissed her and hugged her for a long time.

"You are not scared, Ruby?" Penny asked in surprise.

"Of course not." Ruby said softly. "You're my lucky Penny… And I love you."

Penny hugged Ruby in return and repeated the words to her friend.

To her _girlfriend._

Papa was getting old. After Team RWBY had graduated from Beacon and gotten jobs, Penny's father was frail and spent his days in bed. Penny sat with him and fed him porridge and helped him drink water.

"Penny…" Papa rasped. He was all bones, a trembling skeleton wrapped in blankets.

His daughter held his hand with two of her own.

"I will die soon."

"No, Papa – " Penny started but his father hushed her.

"It is true, my dear." Tears were leaking from Papa's eyes now, cataract clogged irises clouded over.

"And I know you haven't forgotten what I have told you since you were young. I made you and when I pass, your power will be shut off. My daughter, I am sorry for lying to you when you were young. I told you how your time would come to befriend the world, but I never wanted that to happen because you would get attached and bonds would be broken. You met Ruby, and I am so happy that you did. But… I cannot change what I have done, I am sorry, Penny, forgive me."

Penny watched her father cry onto his pillow while his wrinkled lips pressed into a firm line.

"Forgive me, Penny." Papa whispered.

Penny wiped at one of his tears and spoke.

"It's okay, Papa. Quiet now. I'll arrange things with Ruby. Just rest easy." Penny said quietly, brushing the remnants of Papa's tears onto the bed sheet.

Penny kissed her father's temple and grabbed her coat.

Papa was left in the house alone, grasping weakly at his covers and crying.

"Forgive me…"

Ruby arrived with Penny. Blake, Yang, and Weiss were coming later to say their last goodbyes, but for now, Ruby held her girlfriend in her arms, rocking her back and forth. Ruby pressed a gentle kiss to Penny's earlobe, trying to hold back tears as she watched Papa's chest heave with a few middling breathes.

"I'm scared, Ruby." Penny whispered, huddling into Ruby's touch.

Ruby kissed her slowly.

"Don't be scared. I'm here." Ruby murmured, looping her arms around Penny's waist.

Penny nodded numbly and kissed Ruby again.

Papa woke from his sleep with a rattling gasp, his ribcages seeming to break open from the noise he was making.

Penny whimpered and clung to Ruby, kissing her cheekbones and face as quickly as she could.

"I love you, Ruby Rose. I love you, I love you." She chanted between the kisses, drinking in the sight of her first friend with fear in her eyes.

"I love you, Penny." Ruby was crying, tears streaming down her face. "I love you more."

Papa's breaths were shortening; he was gasping for breath.

Penny cupped Ruby's cheekbones and kissed her before speaking.

"Thank you for being my friend."

And a lifeless Automaton slumped against Ruby's chest.


End file.
